Photos: Laborious saffron harvest unites Moroccan village

Nov 15, 2019 16:24 IST

A family separates Saffron stigma from petals shortly after harvesting during harvest season in Askaoun, a small village near Taliouine, in Morocco's Middle Atlas Mountains. Morocco is among the world’s top five saffron producers, with output of 6.8 tons last year according to the Agriculture Ministry, though Iran is by far the largest producer. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

Villagers pick Saffron flowers at dawn during harvest season. “Isn’t the flower just calling to be picked? Look at it, it gives itself to your hand,” says villager Biya Tamir. She doesn’t know her age, but estimates that her body is in its sixties and says her spirit is that of a child. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

It’s mainly older women who are seen making their way out of Askaoun village and its mud-brick homes before the sun rises and into fields of purple saffron flowers whose crimson stigmas will become aromatic orange saffron sold around the world. Though the women’s bent backs ache and their hands are blistered by the morning cold, they sing and chat as they pick the flower that thrives in only select places on earth. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

A basket of Saffron flowers is seen at a farm. The saffron plants bloom for only two weeks a year and the flowers, each containing three crimson stigmas, become useless if they blossom, putting pressure on the women to work quickly and steadily. There’s at least a 50% drop in the harvest compared to last year and the farmers are feeling defenseless. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

The village has no nearby health services, and women all give birth at home. “If a person gets sick, we give them warm soup and then we take them to the graveyard,” says Fatima Ait Tahadoucht. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

A boy plays in his family's home after sunrise during Saffron harvest season. Every step is done by hand, and if stigmas aren’t picked out and dried within a few hours of harvesting, their quality drops drastically, making saffron one of the most laborious agricultural activities and giving it the nickname “red gold.” (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

$A family picks Saffron stigma shortly after harvesting during harvest season. Few crops can thrive in the arid soil of the lower Atlas range, so the village depends solely on saffron to survive. The harvesters see only a fraction of the money consumers spend for the spice, however, and the weather can wreak havoc on their livelihood. This year, precipitation was irregular, snow was scarce and the cold period too brief. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)$

A family picks Saffron stigma shortly after harvesting during harvest season. Few crops can thrive in the arid soil of the lower Atlas range, so the village depends solely on saffron to survive. The harvesters see only a fraction of the money consumers spend for the spice, however, and the weather can wreak havoc on their livelihood. This year, precipitation was irregular, snow was scarce and the cold period too brief. (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

A villager who is part of a women Saffron cooperative, poses for a portrait during a harvest season. “There’s at least a 50% drop in the harvest compared to last year. And the farmers are feeling defenseless,” says Rachida Baha, president of Tamghart Al Filahya cooperative, which focuses on helping women saffron farmers. “The women are simply not aware of the real value of saffron,” she said. “For years, the women worked for free. Many still do.” (Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP)

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Morocco is among the world's top fivesaffron producers, with an output of 6.8 tons, though Iran is by far the largestproducer. With the 50% drop in theharvest compared to last year, the farmers of Askaoun village who depend solelyon saffron to survive are feeling worried and defenseless. Also, this year,precipitation was irregular, snow was scarce and the cold period too brief.